Since the resurrection, people have been disagreeing on whether it was legitimate or not. Some people claim that grave robbers stole the body of Christ, others say that the disciples were having mere hallucinations when seeing Jesus after His resurrection, some people even say that Christ was resurrected but only His spirit walked the Earth for the next few weeks until He ascended. However, Jesus said “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” He wanted people to see Him. He wanted people to touch and to feel that He is real and risen and that there is hope for all of those who follow Him because of this fact.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul makes the importance of the resurrection clear by saying “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” That is a bold and weighty claim for Paul to make, but one that he is confident in. If Jesus was not raised from the dead in His entirety of being, then the Christian faith just isn’t a thing. We have hope that Jesus was not left in the grave but defeated death through the resurrection. This is something that we can celebrate and reflect on today and every day! 1 John 3:3 says “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” Jesus’ resurrection power is not only our hope of salvation but our hope of sanctification and transformation. The same grace of God that was present at the resurrection was present at our time of salvation and continues to work in us every single day. Rejoice and rest in this truth.

In Conclusion

One great thing about the Scriptures is that the story is not over. Luke continues his authorship in the book of Acts (or Luke, Part II) and tells the story of what happens next with the apostles. We see how the church spreads and lays the foundation for what the Lord is doing even up to today. My challenge to you is to continue reading and studying to learn more about God and grow closer to Him.

Think about these questions today as you finish your reading: What are some big takeaways from the book of Luke? (Challenge yourself and try to write down 20!) What is God calling you to be obedient to? How can you be “rooted” (Converge theme) in the Word of God in the next month, semester, or year? Who can you challenge to join you in this lifestyle of being rooted?